I just got my report back from Blackstone labs and they had my engine at 12.L and it said Universal Averages for the 12.0L are based on an oil run of 15,000 miles.

However when I called to tell them it was a 14.0L they sent an new report that said Universal Averages for the 14.0L are based on oil run at 12,000 miles.

Should I be changing my oil at 12,000 miles? The book says 15,000 so I don't understand this. They said the iron was higher due to longer run time but the report ends:

We have no problems to report. Nice wearing diesel! (Their exclamation point) so that's good to read.

 

I haven't used 15K oil change intervals in about 2 decades. I used 30K on my last Cummins FLD and finally gave up the truck at 1.4 million and it still ran good and never had the engine gone in to. That was oil change, did not mean to imply that I never gave the grease fittings a squirt and checked things out underneath. Some confused oil change intervals with all lube service.

Either way.... if you have a good oil analysis program going on, the UOA results will let you know when to change and set up your oil change intervals. If you installed bypass filtration, you could expect greatly extended drain intervals.

It's all about how much you want to spend. I have no grief with someone who wants to change at 12K or 15K. I won't unless the UOA says that the oil needs changed. Oils have come a long way in the last decade and most of the major brands are good enough to allow 25K-30K even without bypass filtration. With bypass filtration getting out the soot and other particulates far better than just the full flow alone, many oils are capable of greatly extended drain intervals. And, as long as the UOA's look good, no manufacturer will void warranty (nor can they under the Magnuson-Moss warranty act) for extended drains if the numbers look good.

Each owner has to operate in his/her own comfort level. Extended drains are not a problem with me, but to someone else.... never. It's all about cost per mile to operate. Reducing the OCI frequency is just increasing your PPM. I could also put on new tires every 50K just to feel comfortable about having only the best tread all the time, but that would be pretty stupid. To me, changing the oil sooner than would be needed would not make much sense either.

 

Hey thanks for the reply. A lot of what you say makes sense. I personally would never go 30K on an oil change cause I can't just get underneath and look around as I have no idea what I'm looking at. Sure these mechanics at the T/A probably don't know much either but I know nothing.

So the only thing I can do is be vigilant on the maintenance. It's funny though today I was talking with a trader; he actually puts the trades in and he was telling me that a lot of these stock brokers know less then you would think. He said it's funny that these people that were smart enough to get enough money that they have enough to trade turn around and hand their money to basically good salesmen.

So I guess in the same vein I am wrong for trusting these mechanics but I know nothing so in the end like I said what else can I do than make sure I follow all maitenance schedules.

When I took my truck into the shop the other day they had a mechanic walk around the whole truck with a clip board and he was looking around. Well as he had the hood open and had already looked on the left side of the motor, I was standing there looking at it too. I said hey there looks like there is a leak here did you see this? Well no he missed it and there was a leak. He wrote it up and they fixed it under warranty. So obviously I can't rely completely on these people.

But your right, just to change things when they aren't needed is a waste. I remember when I was in a computer tech class, the teacher told us the tools we needed to buy and said not to buy a set with one extra tool that we don't need. Just the way he said it though stuck in my head and really just confirms what you said.